Corner-connected cabinet assembly

ABSTRACT

A cabinet assembly includes a pair of end pieces, a top piece and a bottom piece, each provided with cooperating pairs of marginal recesses. Angled connectors seat in and are secured to the recesses, locating the pieces in cabinet-forming relation.

United States Patent [191 Freeman June 26, 1973 [5 CORNER-CONNECTED CABINET 1,491,708 4/1924 Kummerer 287/2092 n ASSEMBLY 419,763 H1890 Fletcher 287/2032 D Dixon L. Freeman, Tacoma, Wash.

Monitor Cabinets, a division of Comerco, Inc., Tacoma, Wash.

Filed: Aug. 16, 1971 Appl. No.: 172,167

Inventor:

Assignee:

U.S. Cl 217/12, 217/20, 287/2092 C Int. Cl B65d 13/00, B65d 9/12 Field of Search 217/12, 70;

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 4/1886 Crouch 287/2092 D Primary Examiner-Samuel B. Rothberg AztorneyEugene D. Farley [5 7] ABSTRACT A cabinet assembly includes a pair of end pieces, a top piece and a bottom piece, each provided with cooperating pairs of marginal recesses. Angled connectors seat in and are secured to the recesses, locating the pieces in cabinet-forming relation.

3 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PATENIEDJURZS 1973 Dixon LFreerncm INVENTOR CORNER-CONNECTED CABINET ASSEMBLY This invention relates to cabinet assemblies. It pertains particularly to cabinet assemblies of the class made from chipboard and shipped and merchandised in knockdown, disassembled condition. I

In the merchandising of prefabricated cabinet assemblies for distribution in knockdown condition to the doit-yourself trade, two significant problems are present.

The first is that of providing a cabinet construction which lends itself to easy and accurate assembly by inexperienced operators.

The second is that of providing a cabinet assembly which is adapted for the use of wood chipboard and particle board components. As is well known, these structural materials have adequate strength and wear properties. However, it is difficult to assemble a cabinet made from chipboard or particle board parts since the ends of such parts will not hold screws or other securing means.

It accordingly is the general object of the present invention to provide a prefabricated, knockdown cabinet assembly which may be shipped in knockdown condition and wherein the parts are self-locating in the proper relationship to each other when their assembly is desired.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a knockdown cabinet assembly, the component parts of which are interconnected by angle connectors which overlie and are secured to the faces of the parts, rather than the end edges thereof, thereby making possible the use of chipboard and particle board cabinet pieces.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a cabinet assembly which is easily and inexpensively manufactured from readily available raw materials and which may be rapidly and accurately assembled by the user.

The manner in which the foregoing and other objects of this invention are accomplished will be apparent from the accompanying specification and claims considered together with the drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic view in front elevation of the herein described cabinet assembly, illustrating the relationship of the component cabinet parts to each other.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary, exploded view in perspective illustrating the manner of assembly of the parts; and

FIG. 3 is a foreshortened perspective view illustrating the assembled cabinet.

In its broad aspect the assembly comprises in combination top, bottom and end pieces adapted for arrangement with the margins of the top and bottom pieces contiguous to the margins of the end pieces. The contiguous marginal surfaces of the pieces are formed with a plurality of pairs of registering recesses.

A plurality of angled connectors dimensioned for form-fitting reception therein are seated one in each of the recess pairs thereby locating the pieces in cabinet forming relation. Fastening means secure the connectors to the pieces to form the final assembly.

Considering the foregoing in greater detail and with particular relation to the drawings:

The general arrangement and manner of assembly of the herein described cabinet is indicated in FIG. 1.

The cabinet assembly includes a top piece 10, a bottom piece 12, anda pair of endpieces 14, 16. These may be of any desired, predetermined size and preferably are made of wood, chipboard, particle board or like inexpensive constructional material characterized by lack of nail and screw holding ability in the end grain. In addition, there may be included in the assembly back panels, doors, dividers and other structural components, not illustrated, as required to build a cabinet having the desired accommodations.

In the assembly of the cabinet, the end margins of end pieces 14, 16 overlie the ends of top and bottom pieces 10, 12. They are held together by means of a plurality of angled connectors 18 which serve dual functions: that of locating the pieces in precise cabinetforrning relation to each other in the first instance, and that of securing the pieces to each other in the assembly of the final cabinet.

To this end the contiguous marginal surfaces of the pieces are formed with a plurality of pairs of registering recesses. In the illustrative view of FIG. 2, the recess on the inner end margin of end-piece 14 is indicated at 20, that of the outer end margin of the contiguous bottom piece 12 is indicated at 22. Both of these recesses preferably are formed with longitudinally extending central slots 24, 26, respectively, for purposes which will appear hereinafter.

Each pair of recesses is adapted to receive one of angle connectors 18 in form-fitting, socket relation. To this end each connector is comprised of a pair of plates 28, 30 having a contour and thickness conforming to the contour. and depth of recesses 20, 22 in which they are to be received. The two plates are joined at their bases and the connector is rigidified by the inclusion ofv a longitudinally extending gusset plate 32. This is dimensioned for reception in one of slots 24, 26 which open out into recesses 20, 22. v

The connector advantageously may be manufactured as an integral unit from strong plastic having adequate structural properties. Its component plates are drilled with holes 34 which receive screws 36 or other fastening means by means of which the connectors are fastened to the cabinet pieces.

The top piece, bottom piece, end pieces, connectors, fasteners and related structural components when disassembled are in a condition in which they can be packaged in small compass and readily transported to the use site. There they may be assembled as a finished cabinet by an inexperienced craftsman with minimum effort and maximum accuracy.

In a preferred procedure, plates 28 of connectors 18 are located in recesses 20 of end pieces 14, 16 respectively. Normally a total of eight plates will thus be located, one in each corner. They are secured in position by means of screws 36.

Next, the end pieces are arranged sequentially with the top and bottom pieces in the arrangement of FIG. 1. Plates 30 of connectors 18 are placed in sockets 22 of the top and bottom pieces, with gussets 32 received in slots 26. The plates then are secured to the top and bottom pieces by means of screws 36. This completes the basic assembly of the cabinet. The procedure may be enlarged or modified, however, to include additional structural components such as a back wall, a central divider, doors, etc.

It is to be noted that when the procedure outlined above is followed, slot 26 is used for the reception of gusset 32. This serves two functions: that of accurately locating the pieces in their proper relationship to each other and that of stabilizing and strengthening the final assembly. Slot 24 in recess 20 is idle, but concealed by plate 28. It is included first, because it is simpler to manufacture all of the pieces with identical recess-slot arrangements and secondly, because it renders the assembly more versatile in that reversal of the connectors is possible in building up cabinet units in a construction different from that illustrated.

From the foregoing the advantages of the herein described cabinet assembly are manifest. The assembly may be transported and merchandised in compact, knowndown condition. Inexpensive chipboard or particle board may be employed as the primary structural material since the connector is attached to the faces of the pieces rather than into the end grain thereof. In assembly, the parts are self-locating by inserting gusset 32 into the selected one of slots 24, 26, as well as by reason of the form fitting relation of the connector plates relative to the recesses in which they are received. These advantages are obtained, furthermore, by the provision of a cabinet of simple, inexpensive construction which is versatile in the ability to assume various forms and to include various additional categories of structural components.

Having thus described my invention in preferred embodiments, I claim:

1. A cabinet assembly comprising in combination: a. top, bottom and end pieces adapted for arrangement with the margins of the top and bottom pieces contiguous to the margins of the end pieces, b. the contiguous marginal surfaces of the pieces being formed with a plurality of pairs of registering recesses, one recess of each pair being in one of the end pieces and the other in the adjacent top or bottom piece,

c. a plurality of angled connectors dimensioned for form-fitting reception, one in each of the recess pairs, thereby locating the pieces in cabinetforming relation, the angled connectors including gusset plates in the interior angle of the connector, the recesses being formed with slots dimensioned to accommodate the gusset plates, and

d. fastening means for fastening the connectors to the pieces,

2. The cabinet assembly of claim 1 wherein one recess of each pair is located on an inner end margin of an end piece and the companion recess of each pair is located on an outer end margin of one of the top and bottom pieces.

3. The cabinet assembly of claim 1 wherein the end pieces overlie the ends of the top and bottom pieces of one of the top and bottom pieces. 

1. A cabinet assembly comprising in combination: a. top, bottom and end pieces adapted for arrangement with the margins of the top and bottom pieces contiguous to the margins of the end pieces, b. the contiguous marginal surfaces of the pieces being formed with a plurality of pairs of registering recesses, one recess of each pair being in one of the end pieces and the other in the adjacent top or bottom piece, c. a plurality of angled connectors dimensioned for form-fitting reception, one in each of the recess pairs, thereby locating the pieces in cabinet-forming relation, the angled connectors including gusset plates in the interior angle of the connector, the recesses being formed with slots dimensioned to accommodate the gusset plates, and d. fastening means for fastening the connectors to the pieces,
 2. The cabinet assembly of claim 1 wherein one recess of each pair is located on an inner end margin of an end piece and the companion recess of each pair is located on an outer end margin of one of the top and bottom pieces.
 3. The cabinet assembly of claim 1 wherein the end pieces overlie the ends of the top and bottom pieces and wherein one recess of each pair is located on the inner end margin of an end piece and the companion recess of each pair is located on the outer end margin of one of the top and bottom pieces. 